The services sector edged up last month, fuelling expectations that a recovery in GDP established at the beginning of the year will continue into the summer.

The Office for National Statistics said activity across the services sector, which accounts for three quarters of the economy, nudged 0.2% higher in April on the previous month. Though the services sector growth remains lacklustre, analysts said the rise will spur a jump in GDP during the second quarter, possibly taking growth for the year to 1%.

David Tinsley, UK economist at BNP Paribas, warned that the pattern of growth in April was "somewhat lop-sided". Transport, storage and communications output rose 1.3%, with government and other services rising 0.1%. But distribution, hotels and restaurants and the sector covering business services and finance showed zero growth on the month.

"Still, over the last three months the index of services is up a healthy 0.8%, and the pattern of growth is more broadly based, although business services and finance remains relatively weak," said Tinsley.

The ONS said slow but generally steady rise in activity since 2010 has reversed most of the decline seen after the financial crash in 2008 and 2009, with services output – which accounts for three-quarters of the economy – very close to its pre-crash peak.

"By contrast, output in the production and construction industries are close to or below the troughs recorded in 2009; the weakness seen in the the measurement of GDP can be largely attributed to these industries. GDP (output, income and expenditure) is still around 3.9% below its pre-downturn peak," it said.

The gulf between strong services output and the weak state of manufacturing production and construction leaves policymakers with a dilemma. With services pushing the overall GDP figure upwards, ministers may consider that the recovery is established and there is little need for further stimulus. However, with the property market becoming excited in the south-east and the City showing signs of a return to health, critics will argue that the economy remains unbalanced and dependent on activities that gave rise to the last financial crash.